Swab plunger for pneumatically operated pumps



Oct. 31, 1933. s. EVANS SWAB PLUNGER FOR PNEUMATICALLY OPERATED PUMPSFiled Dec. 20, 1952 Jot'b Emrw INVENTOR W/3 DEW ATTORNEY UNITED STATESPATENT OFFICE SWAB PLUNGER FOR PNEUMATICALLY OPERATED PUMPS Seth Evans,Houston, Tex., assignor to Hughes Tool Company, Houston, Tex., acorporation of Texas Application December 20, 1932 Serial No. 648,040

Claims.

My invention relates to plungers for use in plunger lift devices inwhich liquid is raised from wells by pneumatically operated swabplungers.

The device is an improvement upon the type of 5 plunger shown in thepatent to Ricker No.

1,84%,0'74 issued February 9th, 1932.

It is an object to provide a swab plunger in which the valve will morepositively open at the upper end of its stroke so that the plunger mayquickly drop back on its return. stroke.

It is also an important object to increase the speed of operation of theplunger so that a greater number of strokes may be accomplished in agiven time.

I desire to provide a valve separate from the body of the plunger, soformed that it will drop rapidly when the fluid pressure below the sameis relieved and thus facilitate the falling of the plunger body.

In the drawing herewith, Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the valve memberof my plunger, the plunger body and tube being shown in longitudinalsection.

Fig. 2 is a similar View of the valve and body shown in assembledposition removed from the tube.

My plunger is employed as is that shown in the Ricker patent previouslynoted. It is movable in an eduction tube 1 by air or gas under pressureentering the tube 1 below the plunger and its load of liquid. My plungerbody 2 is cylindrical on its outer surface and is formed to fit freelywithin the eduction tube 1. The body is tubular having a central passagetherethrough.

This passage is tapered downwardly at 3 from the beveled upper end 4.Adjacent the lower end the passage is flared outwardly at 5 to produce astream line effect as it moves in the fluid in the well.

The flared end 5 forms a seat for a separately movable valve member 6.This member is formed to drop rapidly when its upper stroke iscompleted. It is shown as generally cylindrical with a tapered upper end7 to engage within the valve seat 5. The upper extremity is formed witha small head or knob 8 to which a fishing tool may be engaged in case ofnecessity. The body of the valve member is rounded at its lower end 9.

contour so that the valve will fall faster than the plunger body 2.

Thus in the operation of the device the valve member will reach the seatat the lower end of the tube below the column of liquid to be raised.The plunger body will then fall through the liquid on to the valve asshown in Fig. 2. The air or gas pressure will then raise the assembledplunger up to the surface discharging the liquid and allowing theplunger to pass the outlet. The gaseous fluid will then exhaust andallow the plunger to drop. The valve member will fall away from theplunger body and will continue at a faster rate than the plunger body tothe bottom.

The valve will open ireely at the upper end of the stroke and as thevalve falls ahead, both parts of the plunger will fall without beinggreatly impeded by the fluid below. The operation of the plunger willtherefore be more rapid than is the case where the valve is formed uponthe plunger body itself. There is slight friction of the plunger bodywith the tube while the valve is obstructed in its fall only by fluid inthe tube.

What I claim as new is:

l. A swab plunger formed of a tubular plunger body and a separate valvebody free to move away from and out of contact with said plunger body,said valve body being shaped to fit into and close the lower end of saidplunger body.

2. A swab plunger formed of a tubular plunger body and a separate valvebody, said valve body being shaped to fit into and close the lower endof said plunger body, said valve body being of smaller external diameterthan said plunger body, and shaped to fall ahead of said plunger body.

3. A swab plunger made up or" two separate sections including a tubularplunger body, and an upwardlytapered valve body, shaped to close thelower end of said plunger body, but adapted to drop separately ahead ofsaid plunger body.

4. A tubular swab plunger body, having its outer surface cylindrical, anoutwardly flaring seat in its lower end, a valve member shaped to fitsaid seat but of smaller outer diameter and free of said plunger body sothat it may fall ahead of said plunger body on the downward stroke ofthe plunger.

5. The combination of a tubular swab plunger body and a separate valvebody adapted to engage with and close said plunger body, said valve bodybeng cylindrical with tapered ends, and means to space said valve membercentrally below said plunger body.

SETH EVANS.

